


Jason's Echo

by StoryBookMuse



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Under the Red Hood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-15
Updated: 2015-05-15
Packaged: 2018-03-30 14:51:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3940909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StoryBookMuse/pseuds/StoryBookMuse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jason has a secret talent and Dick, Tim and Stephanie never knew. They've found him now and they're about to catch him in the act</p>
            </blockquote>





	Jason's Echo

"There's no one _here_ ," Stephanie exclaimed in frustration, kicking an old, moth-eaten seat. One of many, as they were in an old, abandoned Opera House in the heart of Gotham herself. It must have been _decades_ since anything premiered here; the display board outside had been stripped years ago and the old, extravagant lights that would have illuminated the arches have long been shattered and dark. Cobwebs covered the golden trim and thick layers of dust covered the painted angels that once would have been breath taking to behold. It all would have been amazing back in its prime and splendor; now it was just a beautiful, empty ghost of what it used to be. Even so, there was still the faintest trace of magic that buzzed through the air, making the hair on their arms and neck raise ever so slightly.

They were only here for one reason; there had been all sorts of reports of... _noise_ coming from inside. Sometimes crashes and screams, sometimes just music and... _singing_. The townspeople had claimed vandals or _ghosts_ in the most far-fetched reports. Whatever it was, Bruce (who understandably refrained from investigating the damn theater) had asked the three of them, Steph, Tim and Dick to check it out. So far, as Stephanie had pointed out, there had been nothing.

"Keep looking," Tim responded quietly, though his voice reverberated magnificently across the old wooden stage.

"What exactly are we trying to find?" Dick asked with a contemplative frown as he made his way through the rows. "It was probably just a bunch of kids in here messing around," he reasoned further, scratching his head and shrugging indifferently.

"Probably, but it never hurts to be thorough," Tim hummed, stretching his neck back to glimpse the enormity of the world behind the stage. There were stairwells and ladders and all sorts of painted murals for old sets; a lone box or props was shoved against one corner, half buried under a thick, red curtain. He could just make out a gold scepter and ballet shoes clustered over one another and, to be honest? It made his heart ache a bit. There must have been so much life here, so much _magic_ , just to end up abandoned and covered in dust. What he would have given to see a performance back when there was light and life inside these walls.

He could hear each quiet foot fall of Stephanie and Dick as though they were practically stomping across the marble and wood -damn good acoustics- and turned to look at them as they approached.

"We should look behind here; see if there's any other rooms for rehearsal or storage," Dick suggested as he too caught a glimpse of the theatrical backstage jungle.

"Why would there be _rooms_ back here? Is there enough space for that?" Stephanie inquired thoughtfully.

"You're in a world of performing arts," Dick grinned, the sparkle in his eyes almost tangible behind the domino mask, "of _course_ there'll be some kind of extra space. If we have a guy here at all, that's probably where he'd be hiding. Besides, like Tim said, it never hurts to be thorough."

"Thank you," Tim snorted softly before treading on, Dick and Stephanie following behind. Low and behold, there was a door around the corner that led to a short hallway. It was a thick, wooden door with the same faded polish that had lined the stage from before. It was heavy, too, for a door, but came open easy enough. Behind it stretched a dark hallway with two or three doors on either side and moonlight streaming in from the doors on the right.

"Rehearsal rooms," Dick nodded in triumph. Stephanie smiled and shook her head, just about to open her mouth and say something before Tim suddenly froze and shushed them with a hiss.

" _Quiet_ ," he urged, making Stephanie and Dick freeze. Well, what now??

"Tim-" Stephanie started before Tim cut her off with a hasty _shhh!_

"Listen...." he paused, furrowing his brows. "Tell me you hear that?"

Dick and Stephanie frowned, suddenly leaning in to listen. At first there was nothing...just stillness and quiet. Both turned to look at their friend in concern, before Tim waved them off and ventured forward.

"Come on, _listen_ ," he urged again after he was half way down the hall. Dick and Stephanie exchanged a worried look before following after him once more with ears strained in effort. They almost protested again and they almost had to ask again if Tim wasn't just imagining things, but then-... then they finally heard it.

It was faint...so quiet that Dick had to clean his ears out with his fingers to be sure he had actually heard it.

"A piano," Stephanie stated, stepping forward in awe. "Coming from the last door on the right. It's so...so _sad_ ," she inferred, breath hitching ever so slightly.

Indeed, it _was_. The melody was slow and the chords that were played made their heartstrings thrum and ache at the sound. They ghosted forward without a sound towards the last door where the heart broken music wafted through with the moonlight. As they got closer, it wasn't just the piano that could be heard; a voice, oh such a deep baritone -definitely a male, at least...almost familiar in an eery way- could be heard harmonizing with the notes of the piano.

_Hello, hello_

_Anybody out there?_

_Cause I dont hear a sound_

 

_Alone, alone_

_I don't really know where the world is,_

_but I miss it now_

 

Pain; such deep yearning that it almost broke their hearts as they listened. Was this all the noise they were here about? Why did it seem like...they knew it somehow?

_I'm out on the edge_

_and I'm screaming my name_

_like a fool at the top of my lungs_

 

_Sometimes when i close my eyes_

_I pretend I'm alright_

_but its never enough_

 

_Cause my echo, echo_

_is the only voice coming back._

_Shadow, shadow_

_is the only friend that i have._

 

The door had a window on it, just a small window but they _had_ to see who was playing. They had to, there was no question. They stepped forward without even stopping to think, and peering through to see who the mystery musician was.

"No _way_ ," Stephanie gasped in horror.

_Listen, listen_

_I would take a whisper if_

_that's all you had to give_

 

_But it isn't is it_

_you could come and save me and_

_try to chase the crazy right out of my head!_

 

"Jason," Dick choked, pressing his hands against the wood and staring into the room as Jason Todd sat on the bench of the instrument and sang, eyes closed and the most heart wrenching expression on his face to match the lyrics.

_I dont wanna be an island_

_I just wanna feel alive and_

_get to see your face again_

 

_I dont wanna be an island_

_I just wanna feel alive and_

__get to see your face again_ _

 

_I'm out on the edge and I'm_

_screaming my name like a fool_

_at the top of my lungs_

 

_Sometimes when I close my eyes_

_I pretend I'm alright_

_But it's never enough_

  
_Cause my echo, echo...  
_

_My shadow, shadow...._

_Hello, hello..._

_Anybody out there?_

 

"Oh my God," Tim let out in a breathy tremble."This...this is where he's been hiding?"

"Forget that right now," Stephanie bit her lip, fighting to keep from tearing up. "Do you _hear_ him?"

"I didn't...I didn't know he could play or...or even _sing_ ," Dick swallowed thickly, reaching to clutch his aching heart. "God, _Jay._ "

It was quiet as they continued to watch the man dance across the keys and sing in that haunting voice, never once opening his eyes. That was good, because...as soon as he did, as soon as he saw them, he'd run and Jay would be lost again.

"We have to apprehend him," Tim hung his head heavily. "I- I know what you're feeling, but-"

"No!" Dick interrupted, sounding choked again. God, if he wasn't wearing a domino, those big blue eyes would be unbearable. "Please, I- maybe we can talk to him, maybe we can get him to come _home_ ," he continued, begging at this point.

"Dick," Stephanie touched his shoulder reluctantly. "He's a criminal," she reminded him. "You know what Batman would say."

Dick whimpered and hung his head in misery, and Tim couldn't help but to reach out to comfort him as well. "I'm sorry," he offered quietly, bowing his head as well. "I want him to come home too, but-... hell, you know what happened last time."

"I know," Dick swallowed thickly, closing his eyes. "I know. I understand what we have to do." Tim nodded at him in silence and they waited together in the soundless dark. _Soundless_...

"Um, guys?" Stephanie frowned, looking back through the window while the two boys consoled each other. "Anybody else noticed there's no more music?" Tim and Dick snapped their heads up immediately and cursed. No more music-

"And no more Jason," Stephanie sighed, turning away from the window. "We waited too long. Jason must have seen us; he's gone now." 

"Well come on then, we've gotta find him!" Tim urged seriously, turning on his feet to bolt back through the hallway to the exit. Stephanie followed but Dick lagged behind, only for a moment.

"Coming, Blue?" Stephanie called out from ahead. Dick sighed and nodded heavily. Bruce wasn't going to be pleased, they'd be on Red Alert for _weeks_ after this. Still...he almost didn't want to leave. The piano, that melody, Jason's voice, all that _pain_ -... he never knew.

"Coming," Dick answered, forcing a smile onto his face and running after her.

He never _knew_.


End file.
